The 1st Official American Troops orThe Gulf of Tonkin Incident

ARVN Troops Don’t Cut It Why Not?

•What are they fighting for?

•Communist sympathizers

•Fragile South Vietnamese leaders see ARVN as a force guaranteeing their rule. Aggressive fighting would drain ARVN forces and make a coup d’etat more likely

American Advisors Felt that Money Sent to South Vietnam is wasted…

Outposts aka VC Depots

Lack of accountability of funds- radio story

Graft/Black Market

OK… come out! Give us

your weapons!!!

Just a moment,

please. I’m not properly dressed right

now!

VC Forces Grew

About 2000 VC under the height of Diem’s repression

About 53,000 by the time of the 1964 election

LBJ Hesitant To Send in American Troops With the Election Coming Up.

• Why was he hesitant? – Need for legitimacy– Negative memories of Korean

War in U.S. – Congress has the power to

declare war

• LBJ has his advisors wrote up a draft of a Congressional Resolution giving him war powers in Vietnam, but holds onto it

An event in the Gulf of Tonkin changed

everything!

Vietminh Boat

ARVN boats

US destroyers

US Aircraft Carrier

I. Clandestine Activities

•U.S. sponsored commando raids by South Vietnamese troops into North Vietnam

•American Advisors played an integral role

II. International Water Dispute

?

III. Incident at sea…

…late 1963

IV. LBJ’s Response

V. Gulf of TonkinIncident

VII. What is LBJ to do? VI. U.S. Attacked in the

Tonkin Gulf… What will LBJ do? Is he a wussy?

Good Time for a media literacy lesson, says Mr. Hansen, Best Teacher Ever?

VII. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Vs.

“It’s like Grandma’s nightshirt. It covers everything.” LBJ

VIII. LBJ’s Response…

1st U.S. attack on

North Vietnam!

IX. LBJ Wins 1964 Election in

a landslide…

tries to calm down

the Vietnam

situation…no more

attacks for months

However, the VC Sought Revenge for the Aerial Bombing with an Attack on

the U.S. air base at Pleiku.

•Several Americans KIA and many planes are damaged…

LBJ got pissed off…

• “I have asked the commanding general…what he needs… He has told me. And we will meet his needs. We cannot be defeated in Vietnam by force of arms. We will stand in Vietnam.” LBJ

First American Combat Troops Arrived In Vietnam

• March, 1965• Their official

mission… protect the airbases.

• Their actual authorized mission…find and destroy the VC…take over for the ARVN army.

Hansen Name ____________ Vietnam Period ______

The First Official American Troops (or) The Gulf of Tonkin Incident - Note Taking Guide

• ARVN Troops Didn’t Cut It – Why Not?

• __________________________________________? • __________________________________• Fragile South Vietnamese leaders see ARVN as a force

________________________________. __________________________________________ ____________________________ and make a coup d’etat more likely

• American Advisors Felt That Money Sent to Vietnam Was Wasted – Outposts aka __________________

• __________________________________________ ___________________________________________

– Lack of accountability of funds- radio story – ____________________________

• VC Forces Grew – About ______________ under the height of Diem’s repression– About ___________ by the time of the 1964 election

• LBJ Hesitant to Send in American Troops With an Election Coming Up – Why was he hesitant?

• __________________________• Negative memories of _________________________

___________________________________________• ____________________________________________

– LBJ has his advisors wrote up a ____________________ __________________________ giving him war powers in Vietnam, but __________________________________

• An Event in the ________________________ Changed Everything – I. Clandestine Activities

• U.S. sponsored _____________________________ ___________________ troops into North Vietnam

• ____________________ played an integral role– II. International Water Dispute

• _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

– III. Incident at Sea – 1963• _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

– IV LBJ’s Response • __________________________________________

__________________________________________– V. Gulf of Tonkin Incident

• ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________

– VI. Newspaper Reports Goaded the President • ___________________________________________

___________________________________________– VII. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

• ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

– VIII. LBJ’s Response to Gulf of Tonkin Incident• ________________________________________________

________________________________________________– IX. IX. LBJ Won the 1964 Election in a landslide…

• tried to calm down the Vietnam situation• no more ___________________________________

• However, the VC Sought Revenge for the Aerial– _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________• LBJ Got Pissed Off

– “I have asked the commanding general…what he needs… He has told me. And we will meet his needs. _____________________________ _____________________________. We will stand in Vietnam.” LBJ

• First U.S. Combat Troops Land in Vietnam – ________________________

• Their official mission… _______________________• Their actual authorized mission…_____________________

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________